


Rule the World

by AirSteps



Category: FFXV - Fandom, Final Fantasy XV
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2019-10-24 11:43:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17703692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AirSteps/pseuds/AirSteps
Summary: A philosopher once asked, “Are we human because we gaze at the stars, or do we gaze at the stars because we are human?” pointless, really. Do the stars gaze back? Now, that's the real question.……………….In which Prompto is a star that falls to earth. Quite literally.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Basically an au of Neil Gaimans stardust Complete with very similar dialogue.. Idek if this is valid but I'm enjoying writing it

The wall had surrounded and protected insomnia for as long as Noctis could remember. He thinks he was probably no more than three years old when he was told to stay away from it. 

“The wall holds secrets” his father said. “secrets not even given to those who protect the city.  
That wall protects Insomnia and keeps the empire at bay- you must never play there again; do you understand? ”

Noctis had nodded, swinging his legs against the old wood of the Too-Large chair he sat on. He always was a curious child, and something about that wall- or what lay beyond it - seemed to draw him.  
Of course, at three years old Noctis didn't question where he came from, and since his Father’s reaction that day, he thought the difficult subjects best be avoided.  
As for the strange glass snowdrop Regis always wore in his buttonhole?  
Noctis never asked. 

All Noctis knew is that he was left on his father's doorstep, and it wasn't until eighteen years later that his story really began -- the story of a boy who must win the heart of his true love.  
……. 

 

Noctis opens a bottle of champagne for his childhood friend and sweetheart, LunaFreya. Sitting calmly on the grass, a few metres away from the wall, they watch the sky darken overhead. 

“I've never had champagne before” LunaFreya sighs.  
“Me neither” Noctis admits, pouring the sparkling liquid into two glasses. 

“How did a shop boy afford afford all of this? It must have taken all your savings.”

Noctis shakes his head “I'm not a shop boy”

“Oh! I forgot they fired you today! I'm so sorry..”

Noctis only shrugs. “No, I mean, I never was a shop boy. I'm just a boy, who worked in a shop”  
His eyes glaze for a moment, looking out into the distance, then back towards Luna.  
“the job wasn't important; I never intended to stay at Insomnia, Luna. The world is so much bigger. And I want to see it all”

Luna laughs. “You sound like Nyx. Quite the traveller. He's going all the way to Hammerhead to buy me a ring”

“Hammerhead? Luna, I'm talking further than that. I'm talking Altissia, or Lestallum or….”

“A ring?” Noctis expression changes, as he processes this development.  
“ why is he…. What kind of a ring?”

Luna’s eyes flick over him apologetically  
“word has it that Nyx will propose on my Birthday”

Noctis knows that to marry a girl of Insomnia, you must bring her some token of gratitude. He knows he can't afford that.  
He sighs. 

“Luna, you know I'd go further than Hammerhead. I'd go to the fields of Tenebrae and bring back every sylleblossom.  
I'd go to Duscae, hunt a behemoth, and bring you back it's head”

Luna only seems amused.  
“A Behemoths head? You're funny, Noctis. I should go, it's getting late”

Had Noctis known then how the stars watched earth, he'd have been mortified at the thought of thousands of eyes witnessing his night of humiliation. 

Fortunately for him, at that moment nearly every star in the sky was staring at the land on the other side of the wall, where the King of Nefilheim lay dying, and, unknown though it was, the King's final act was to change Noctis’ life forever.  
……. ………. …….. 

 

“Ah, my sons.”  
The King’s voice is weak as he lies on his deathbed, eyes looking somewhere into the distance, and not at the men that stand before him.  
“So now we come to the matter of succession. Of my seven sons, only three of you remain. This is quite a break from tradition. As I had twelve brothers--”  
He is interrupted by Ravus, the youngest.  
“Yes and you killed them all for the throne before you reached twenty. We know you are brave and courageous”

 

The king smiles, and turning to his second son, he says  
“Go to the window, tell me what you see.”

The man nods, walking over to the large, open window.  
“I see Nefilheim, father. The whole empire”

“And?” the king raises his eyebrows expectantly 

“My empire?”

“Perhaps. Look up.”

Ravus grins as his brother looks at the horizon, and stepping forward, with one shove, he pushes the older man out into the open sky and down to his doom. 

All four who remain in the room begin to laugh, a bitter and unpleasant sound.  
is this how they mourn, as member of their family is falling, down, down, down?  
..…. ….. …… …… 

And… Oh.Has he landed?  
No, he's in a room with… 

“My brothers? You're alive?”

Four ghostly figures greet the newcomer. Who is slightly perplexed at this outcome.   
“No.” one of them speaks   
“YOU are dead. Stuck like this until a new ruler is appointed over Nefilheim.”

“Why talk to me like that , brother? Not still mad about the whole murder thing are we?”  
Now that he looks at them, his brothers all seem to show a reminder of how they were killed.

The ghost replies mockingly  
“Well a lot of good it did you, killing me. Now look at you, king of all Nefilheim…. Oh, oh wait! No you're not! You're dead”  
And they break into bitter laughter once more. 

“Let's see if the rest of us have any more luck”  
…….. 

The king sits up a little, face distorted with the discomfort he felt upon moving.  
“Ravus. Where is your sister, Aulea?”

“Father. No one's seen Aulea for years. You don't think I killed her do you? Why would I, when these two rats still exist”

The king nods and smiles, beckoning the men closer.  
“Well then. Tradition states that the empire will be passed to a male heir. But since there are three--no, two-- of you left, we shall resolve this situation in a non-traditional manner.”  
His hands reach round to the back of his neck, unclasping the heavy chain he wore.  
“Only he of royal blood will be able to restore the carbuncle”  
He holds up the Ruby necklace, waving a hand in front of the jewel. It turns grey and lifeless. After which, the King goes over to the window, flinging the gem out of it and into the night sky, with all the strength he has left.  
It sparks for only a second, and vanishes into the dark. 

“And he who restores it shall be the ruler of Nefilheim”

 

….. ….. ….. 

“Oh! Noctis!”  
Luna catches sight of something glinting in the night sky  
“A shooting star!” Noctis replies,  
and Luna traces the movement with her finger as it lands on the forbidden side of the wall.  
“Beautiful” she hums. 

Noctis turns to look at her.  
“More beautiful than a fancy ring from Hammerhead?”  
An idea then crosses the young man's mind.  
And before he has time to go back on it, he hears himself say  
“Luna. I'd cross the wall to get you that star”

She laughs “Noctis! Nobody crosses the wall. Now you're just being silly”

“Maybe no one's ever tried hard enough” he replies.  
Noctis had always been drawn to the wall, and now he has a chance to prove himself to Luna, to his father, and the rest of Insomnia. 

“My very own star” whispers Luna, softly.  
She looks worried as she takes Noctis hands.  
“You only have a week, Noctis. Before I marry Nyx.”  
She lets go, swallowing a breath.  
“Be careful”

…………. 

On the other side of the wall, an ancient and powerful witch sees the star fall. 

As powerful as he is, he becomes weaker with every use of his magic.  
A star would bring back some of his youth, if he could find it. 

He has no means of travel - he wasn't kind enough to earn the trust of a messenger - so he supposed to reach this star he must travel on foot.  
Ardyn gazes Into a dark jewelled ring he has on his finger - a jewel of divination.  
“ah, according to this, the star is a hundred miles away”

It would be a long journey, and with no easy means of getting across Nefilheim, it would also be a hard one.  
But Ardyn had waited five centuries for a new star to fall, what was a few days more hardship, if it meant he had his youth once more? 

 

……

Noctis, after having walked Luna back to her house, decides to explore this wall for himself. It's been a long time, since he was told not to play near it as a child. 

It didn't look particularly extraordinary, grey, mid-height.  
The wall guard stood nearby, a lady who must have been about 100 years old by now.  
Noctis sees a gap in the wall and heads towards the other side. 

“Regis Caelum! ” Maria tuts as she, despite being ancient, manages to block the gap at lightning speed. 

“It's Noctis, actually” says Noctis, Rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.  
“Oh, you do look like your father” Maria leans in to look closer at his features, probably due to her bad eyesight.  
“What do you think you're doing, young man? I suppose you want to cross the wall as well?” 

“What do you mean, as well as who?”

“Oh, nobody!” says Maria, waving a hand, “Go home, Noctis. People don't cross the wall, everyone knows that”

“Yeah, I know. I'll just go on home, I guess. Well, goodnight, then”

“Goodnight, Master Caelum, Off you go! Give my regards to your father”  
Noctis turns and begins to walk away, and Maria does the same, in the opposite direction.  
Glancing back, Maria seems to be dropping off to sleep, leaning against the wall. 

This was his chance, Noctis thought, and turning round quickly he makes a break for the gap in the wall. 

Maria has other ideas. She's much too quick for an old lady, Noctis thinks, as Maria's staff blocks the gap and then hits Noctis in the groin and the leg, all in one swift movement. 

“Nobody crosses this wall, Master Caelum, not even the protector of Insomnia. I can't tell you any more than that”

Noctis winces as the door to his small home creaks when he enters, he'd rather not speak to his father tonight.  
He was just tiptoeing out of the kitchen en route to his room, when 

“Noctis! I thought I heard you come in”

Ah. 

“You look hurt, what happened? It wasn’t that Nyx was it?”

Noctis wished it had been Nyx, it would be much less embarrassing than…  
“No, heh, actually it was the guard at the wall..”

“Noctis, Maria is 97 years old!”

“I guess she's had time to practice then” the boy winces again, out of pain this time because Regis is examining his sore leg. 

“And why, might I ask, were you crossing the wall in the first place, hm?”  
Regis looks at his son with a look only a father can give. 

Noctis, though, had a comeback for this one.  
“I could ask you the same thing”

Regis swallows. It was about time his son knew. 

…..  
“I have a mother. I mean, she could still be alive”

“I certainly hope so” Regis smiles, resting a hand on Noctis’ shoulder. He had brought out a wooden box, dusty with disuse, and he and Noctis were exploring its contents, Noctis with eyes wide and inquisitive and Regis with wistfulness and a little regret. 

Noctis looks at the glass flower Regis always carried, which right now had his hand curled over it, as if it provided him comfort.  
“the flower? She sent you that?”  
It all began to make sense now. 

“and this chain? What's this for? ”  
Noctis holds up a length of silver, the links clinking together in a pretty metallic sound. 

Regis nods. “She said the flower would bring me luck. And the chain? Your mother was bound into slavery by this chain. I tried to cut it to free her, but like everything in Nefilheim, the thing is enchanted-- I have this piece , but the broken ends of it just melded back together with her still trapped by it”

He pauses, retrieving something else from the box and handing it to Noctis.  
“This also arrived with you. I never opened it. Its addressed to you”  
It is a letter. 

“My dear Noctis.  
My heart is filled with Sadness as today I must be parted from you, before your life has even begun. 

Had my mistress permitted, you would still be here with me.  
I know your father will protect you and take care of you, and it is my greatest wish that we might meet, sometime in the future. 

I have sent with you a messenger, so that if the time ever arises you may call him and travel to me.  
He is free to pass between the walls as he pleases, but will always return to you at your call. 

You must speak with him using your mind, and to travel here, you must think of me and only me. 

Yours forever,  
Mother”

Noctis looks up, his face still framed with the shock.  
“a messenger? What does she mean”

Regis looks away to a black shape asleep in the corner of the room. 

“Umbra?”

The dog wakes, stretching and wandering over to Regis. 

“Your messenger”  
Regis confirms, bending to scratch the creature behind his ears. “Use his abilities wisely-- Umbra’s travel uses energy, and once taken a journey or two, he must rest a while before using this ability again”

“Wait. If you knew about this, and Umbra has been here this whole time, why haven't you been back yourself?”

 

“You know it is forbidden. No one is meant to cross the wall. It's there as a protection, and to keep the empire at bay. ”

Noctis hums. 

“Maria said something about that, about protecting Insomnia, she said she couldn't tell me. But if it was forbidden and always has been, then why did y-”

“Noctis.” standing away from the dog, Regis again places a hand on his son's shoulder.  
“Maria was right, remember what I told you, when you were a child? How the wall protects the city?”

Noctis nods 

“Holding the wall takes a huge amount of strength. My strength. The burden has been given to our family to retain the wall’s barrier. It is a task of great responsibility, and comes with a price.  
I heard tales of a time when the faerie market would pass through the wall, and visit Insomnia unhindered, but that was long ago. Now the empire rules the world beyond the wall, and we must be seperate.  
Holding up the wall brings much pain, and is slowly draining me. I thought, perhaps, if I could see beyond it for myself, I could find a solution.  
Instead, I found your mother.  
I was punished for going beyond the wall, but I must continue to hold its strength. And, one day, so must you”

Regis gently puts the glass flower in Noctis' jacket buttonhole. "To bring you guideance"

Noctis’ head filled with questions.  
He was to hold up the wall? Protect an entire city?  
It was too much to take in. 

Umbra barks, reminding them of his presence. 

“Later, you can question this. But now you must go! Seek out your mother, and if you find her, remember me to her”  
Regis winks then, and Noctis crouches to meet eyes with the dog - his messenger. 

Umbra. My dear friend, take me beyond the wall. Take me to my mother, please. To where the shooting star fell. 

 

In a flash of light, both dog and boy had vanished, and the room was still once more


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay so hh. I rlly don't know if this is any good or some thing ppl are interested in so any comments are really ry appreciated!

Noctis lands with what he assumes must have been a thud, although he can't remember the impact of a fall. 

He also finds, to his great surprise, that someone is lying underneath him. 

“Mother?” He says scrambling to release the poor person. 

“Mother, I'm so sorry! Are you alright? “

 

“N-no not really…. And I'm not your mother?”

“You're not my mother?”

The stranger laughs. “Do I look like your mother?”

Noctis scans the stranger; blonde, freckled, around Noctis’ age and a boy. Definitely not his mother. 

“... No. Sorry.”  
He scratches the back of his neck awkwardly.  
“Well, are you okay? Do you want any help?”

He holds his hand out to the boy, who has already begun to stand. 

“No no, I-I'm OK. You can help by going back to whatever it is you're doing, I guess. ”

“Oh, ok, cool”  
Noctis nods, turning away obligingly. 

“... Wait a minute.  
I was thinking of my mother, when LunaFreya and the star came into my head and…”

He turns back to address the boy again.  
“Uh, excuse me. This might seem weird but um, have you seen a fallen star anywhere?”

 

“Haha! You're funny.”

Noctis looks increasingly more confused as the stranger starts to laugh and then roll his eyes, gesturing to their feet. 

“No, really. We're standing in a crater”

“OH!”  
the first of many realisations hits Noctis, as he whirls round to examine the environment. 

“This must be where it fell!”

 

“This is where it fell” repeats the blonde emphatically, watching Noctis with amusement.  
“Or if you wanna get specific, up there (he points to the sky) is where this weird, heavy necklace came towards it out of nowhere and kicked it out of the heavens. And over there ( he moves his arms to the right) is where it landed.  
And right here (he gestures at his feet) is where it was knocked into the ground by a magical flying moron!”

 

This was the second realisation, as Noctis eyes grew to three times their usual size and he said  
“YOU! You're the star? You're the star! Really? Whoah.  
Sorry I had no idea you'd be a…”

 

a living human boy. And a cute one, if he was honest. 

The boy, (star?), looked a mixture of amused and perplexed as he watched Noctis’ face go through several stages of disbelief. 

Noctis then took something from his jacket pocket, and stepped towards him. 

“Hey, can I just say in advance? that I'm sorry”

“Sorry for what?”

“For this”  
Noctis quickly wraps one end of the chain round the star’s pale wrist, and the other he attaches to his own. 

“Now. I think this means you have to come with me”

“What? Why?” 

“ I promised a fallen star, which apparently is you, as a birthday gift to my LunaFreya”

The star makes a little snickering sound  
“Yeah, because nothing says ‘Romance’ like an injured, kidnapped boy!  
I don't wanna go anywhere except back in the sky, so can you just let me go, please?”  
He folds his arms, sitting down on the ground.  
He looked pretty upset, and Noctis almost considered letting him go.  
But he'd promised this star to Luna, and he doubted the boy could get back to the sky anyway. 

He shrugs.  
“Not yet, sorry. .” He sits with his back to the star, mimicking his position.  
It seemed for now that they were stuck here, as the star was refusing to move. 

“ I'm pretty tired, anyways. It's not like you can go anywhere…” Noctis closes his eyes. 

He's woken not long after by a pull on the chain as the star gets up, trying to use his hands to climb out of the crater. 

“Don't you ever, you know, sleep?” asks Noctis grumpily

“Not at night! I don't know if you noticed, but stars have other things to do at night ; coming out, shining, that kind of thing”

He stops trying to climb the crater, and stands with his hands on his hips. 

 

“Well, I’m afraid, since you're not in the sky anymore, shining is cancelled. Coming out is off the agenda, and, as much as I'd love to make this journey one long nap, sleep during the day is out! Unless you have some magical ability that means you can sleep while you walk”

 

“I don't think that's gonna be a problem, since I'm not walking anywhere”  
the star sits down again, proving his point. 

“Okay, whatever. Stay here sitting in a crater. I was gonna put you back in the sky after showing you to LunaFreya but (he shrugs) if you wanna sit here on your own forever then I guess I can't stop you”

The star frowns.  
“and how exactly are you gonna get me back in the sky?”

Noctis looks proud. “I have a messenger”

“A messenger!?” replies the star, doubtfully.  
“Where?”

Noctis looks round for Umbra, who seems to have disappeared.  
“he's exploring, I guess. Anyways I was gonna use his next journey to get you back in the sky, but if you'd rather stay here then…”

The star sighs. He supposed the messenger this stranger may or may not have is his best option.  
“Okay, okay. Help me up”

Noctis obliged, holding his hands out to the boy.  
“What's your name, anyway? Do stars have names?”

“Prompto” 

“Prompto” Noctis repeats.  
Still holding onto the stars hand, he shakes it.  
“Noctis.”

“I didn't ask”

……….. …….. …..……

 

Unfortunately, Noctis and Prompto weren't the only ones on a journey that day.  
Ardyn had already been on his feet for a while, when he came across another witch's cart, with a beautiful bird chained to its perch outside, and meat roasting on a fire.  
He taps on the sides of the caravan, baiting its occupant to come out. 

And she does - a woman with the body of a snake. She tastes the air, her tongue twitching in fury  
“Who goes there?”

Ardyn throws his arms up.  
“ Temper, temper! What could you want with me, a poor old flower”

“Oh, Hush!” says the snake, looking him up and down. “I know what you are”

Ardyn smirks, slipping round to the front of the cart.  
“And I swear by the ordinance to which we both belong that I wish you no harm”  
“I want to share your meal”

“Very well” the naga produces a chair, gesturing for Ardyn to sit.  
“heads or tails?” she takes the poor roasted creature off the spit,chopping it in half with an axe she keeps on the wall. (her bird flutters in surprise as the axe is brought down) 

“Heads” 

She obliges, sliding the heads half of the crisped animal to Ardyn, who begins to eat. 

“So. Where are you going on this fine day?”  
The naga’s tongue flicks in and out as she leans forwards. 

Ardyn sucks his fingers, pausing to answer her  
“I seek a fallen star. It should be quite close, and when I find it, I shall cut out its still beating heart, and the glory of youth shall be mine”

He clasped his hand over his mouth-- how had this snake got information from him so easily? 

She grins  
“a fallen star, you say? I could lose a few years myself”

Ardyn inspects the food he was given, frowning at the plate. She must have charmed him somehow…  
“Leiden Pepper ?!!” He jumps from the seat, knocking the rest of the food onto the ground, startling the little chained bird who fluttered and flapped in panic. 

“You'd dare to feed me Leiden Pepper???! To steal the truth from me?  
You don't know what kind of mistake you've made, Marillith”

“How do you know my name? Who are you? ”

 

“Look again”  
Ardyn’s eyes burned with magick and he raised his hand to the naga, Marillith, who had dared try to cheat him. 

Marillith’s eyes flashed with recognition and she stutters.  
“Dark majesty, I will leave the star to you. I promise I shan't search for it”

Ardyn’s reply is a sly grin, and a wave of his hand, a hand full of sorcery.  
“ Seek the star all you wish. You shall not see hide nor hair of it. You shall not touch it, taste it, hear it or smell it. You will not recognise it even if it were stood before you.  
Pray you never cross paths with me again, Marillith.”

And with that, Ardyn was gone. Leaving Marillith with no memory of the star, and the little bird screeching and flapping behind him. 

………. …………… ……. 

 

Prompto stumbles, tripping over loose stones as he tries to keep up with his captor.  
“So, you say you know this is the way because “you just do”? Yeah sorry that doesn't exactly fill me with confidence”

Noctis rolls his eyes. “I do though. I don't know why. Maybe it's the thought of Luna, guiding me back”

“Dude. Seriously? “

Noctis didn't reply, and they walked along for a few steps before Prompto speaks again 

“Hey, buddy, can we slow down a little?, please?”

Noctis looks back at Prompto, who seems to be having trouble walking on one of his legs, and nods, slowing his pace. 

“Really though. We're going North. Right? And if you look up, even in the daytime, you can see th,..”  
He tails off, having looked up without seeing what he was expecting.  
He spins around a few times in search of it.  
“the Northern star? That's so weird. It's always just there?”

“Hilarious” says Prompto, sarcastically.  
“Dude, my sides are splitting right now”

“No, I mean it I'm being serious it….”

Noctis looks at Prompto, and then to the sky. 

“Wait that was you? Really? The northern star”  
Noctis chuckles nervously. “heh”

Its then that he feels an abrupt tug on the chain, and looks behind him to see Prompto sitting down against a big tree. 

“Hey! What're you doing?” Noctis grumps indignantly, shaking the chain by moving his arm. 

“Sitting down?” says Prompto, leaning back against the tree.  
“ ‘m really tired”

Noctis sighs, running a hand through his hair.  
“Prompto. Please don't do this; we agreed at the next village we'd stop and rest”

“Come on, Noctis. It's midday. I'm never awake this late, please let me sleep”

“Alright..” Noctis gives in. The boy does look pretty tired, and Noctis was beginning to feel hungry. Maybe Prompto was hungry too.  
He nods.  
“You sleep. I'll uh, go find something to eat”

He detaches the chain from his arm, instead looping it round Prompto’s tree.  
“Stay there” he instructs, as if Prompto had a choice, and he disappears up the track.  
Prompto closes his eyes. 

 

……….. ….. ………… 

 

Ravus and his brother still searched for the stone, and had so far narrowly escaped being killed by each other.  
Now Ravus is getting angry, having followed the advice of a soothsayer, And still he was without the carbuncle. 

“South, you said. And South we went. Are you sure those runes are sound. Throw them.” He demands, asking the stones a question as they fall. 

“Am I the seventh son”  
The soothsayer looks confused. Everybody knows who Ravus is. Yet he answers in behalf of the stones  
“Yes”

Throw them again. “Have I ever spared the life of a traitor?”

Again, the stones fall and the soothsayer answers  
“no”

“Do you work for my brother”

The stones fall, and Ravus smiles as they show a resounding ‘yes’. 

“South, is it?” Ravus says mockingly, replacing his sword and crushing the runes with his foot

 

As for Ardyn; not too far from where Prompto slept, the witch was doing some magic of his own. He had hold of a little boy and his goat. 

“Boy. If you wish to live, you will do as I say. This goat will become my wife and you are my son. We own an Inn. Got it?”

“My name is Talcott, sir, And this goat is for my grandpa. I'm not afraid of you”  
The boy speaks bravely. But his tenacity doesn't matter to Ardyn. 

The witch grins, extending his hand to cast a spell on the boy.  
Talcott opens his mouth, and finds he can no longer speak. 

“Don't make me do that again” Ardyn purrs.  
“Every time I use my magic, I lose some of my beautiful youth.”  
He grins wickedly.  
“But not for long- To capture a star's youth, he must be shining. Misery has drained the star, but I have a trap that will ensure his heart is full before I chop it out of his chest”

He raised his hand again. This time to Talcott’s goat. He mutters some Strange words, and where the animal once stood was now a woman, in front of a small comfy looking Inn. 

Ardyn spoke to boy and goat  
“Get everything ready. You are under my power so don't even think about escaping. Our guest will arrive soon”  
Talcott finds himself nodding, unable to refuse. 

 

It takes a few minutes for Prompto to remember where he was; he groans as he's woken from what seems like a very short sleep. It's raining.  
“Noctis? Noct? is that you?” a noise sounds behind him and Prompto sits up.  
“C’mon this isn’t funny..”

Prompto was beginning to worry now; whatever it was seemed to be approaching, and it had a lot more feet than Noctis. As annoyed as he was being dragged around by the boy, he'd rather that than be eaten by a voretooth. 

He closes his eyes and the creature stops in front of him.  
It neighs softly.  
Prompto opens one eye, then the other, and sees that a unicorn has freed him from his chain! He moves his arm up and down. 

“I am Gentiana” she says, nudging Prompto gently with her muzzle. “come with me”. 

Prompto clambers onto the unicorns back, holding onto her mane. 

When Noctis arrives back at the tree, Prompto has completely vanished.  
“Prompto?? Prompto?!!!” the boy calls for the star, but can find no sign of him. 

_“Noctis”_ A voice surrounds him, seemingly from thin air.  
_“Noctis. Please help our brother. Prompto is in danger - a unicorn tried to help him, but she's walking him into a trap!_  
No star is safe in Nefilheim. Do you know what happens to us?  
The last of us to fall, over 400 years ago, was captured by the same witch who seeks Prompto now.  
He is a vile creature, he tricked the star, cared for her, and once she was glowing; he cut out her heart and ate it, while she still lived! He will do the same to Prompto if you don't save him.  
Hurry, hurry, there is a coach coming soon. Please make sure you get on it. Prompto needs you. Run, Noctis!”

And Noctis ran.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> YEEHAW i didnt beta this tell me if i typoed

Noctis is out of breath, skidding to a halt, he holds his hand up to the coach.  
“Please, stop!”  
He throws himself against the side of the carriage, immediately bouncing off it and landing on the ground. 

The horses rear, and the carriage skids to a stop.   
“well” the driver looks doubtfully at Noctis, hopping out of the carriage and standing over him with a sword “If Ravus will send a boy to do a man's work…”

Noctis holds his hands up again   
“Wait! Please I don't know anyone called Ravus. I just need a lift… Look at me, I'm unarmed”  
He holds up his arms, to prove he has no weapons. “Please, let me ride with you”

The coach driver puts his sword away.   
“Ah, No can do I'm afraid. I'm on a quest of monumental importance.”

“All the more reason for me to come along, then” Noctis gives what he hopes is a winning smile.   
“Maybe there will come a time you need a second pair of hands, sir. Perhaps destiny has sent me to you, as she has sent you to me”

The man considers for a moment.   
“Get on”

 

“What's to say he'd have kept his promise about the messenger , anyways”  
Prompto says into Gentiana’s mane. “If he even has one”   
The unicorn just whickers softly, continuing at a steady pace.   
“I dunno, I just don't see why he's the only person in Nefilheim who could've helped me. Going on and on, ‘LunaFreya this’ and ‘LunaFreya that ’ doesn't he have anything else to do”

Gentiana stops walking, and Prompto looks up to see a small, quiet looking Inn.   
“Thanks, buddy” He pats her shoulder, dismounting and knocking at the door. 

“Oh my goodness, you poor dear”  
Prompto is rushed inside the building by the man who opens the door, presumably the innkeeper.  
“Let's get you out of this rain. How do you like your bath? Warm, hot, or boil-a-dread grouper?”

“I don't know…”   
Prompto admits, feeling a little overwhelmed. 

“Don't you worry about it. You just go change out of those wet things and I'll sort everything out”  
“And my wife will take your horse to the stables”

Prompto smiles gratefully, changing behind the screen Ardyn provides.   
He had never had a bath before, and wasn't sure what to expect.   
But as the feeling of the warm water washed over him, he began to feel somewhat peaceful. 

“Feeling better?” Ardyn purrs

“Much, thankyou!”

Ah, good. Ardyn could tell by the sound of the star’s voice that it was beginning to relax.  
“Nothing like a hot bath to settle your soul. And, how's your leg?”

“Oh! That's amazing! “  
Prompto’s leg was completely healed, with not even the slightest discomfort. 

Ardyn tuts. “It's the least I could do, you looked like you've had an ordeal. I'm just glad you feel better. You seen happier in yourself, too, am I wrong?”

Prompto’s hands make soft splashing sounds as he plays with the water  
“I do feel better, actually. less worried”

“Well, I may be just an innkeeper, but they say I have a healer’s hands - I’d be glad to give you a massage. I've left some clean, warm clothes there when you're ready”

Prompto sounds puzzled   
“A massage? what's that?”

“Never had a massage? Oh my dear boy. There's nothing better than a nice massage to send you to sleep”

“I do have trouble sleeping at night..”  
Prompto climbs out of the bath and dresses behind the screen. . 

“Lie down here, on your back”   
Ardyn instructs, pointing the boy to a suitable piece of furniture. 

Prompto does as he's told, although it feels a little weird to him. 

“Why not close your eyes? You'll get to sleep better that way”  
Ardyn flexes his fingers, and thinks about the knife he has hidden under the couch. 

Just as Prompto starts to relax, there's a knock at the door.   
The innkeeper seems annoyed about this, Prompto thinks. 

“I'll be back just as soon as I've taken care if this customer. Stay right here”  
He smiles, getting up to answer the door. 

“At Last!”   
Says the Prince Iedolas.   
“We require accommodation. Please help my friend take my horses to the stables.”

Ardyn hides his annoyance, sending the goat-woman to take the horses with Noctis, leading them to the stables at the back of the Inn, where Gentiana is already resting. 

Iedolas decides to go inside the Inn. 

“Hello?”  
He strides up to Prompto’s sleeping form.   
Prompto blinks awake 

“Oh. I'm accustomed to better service, but you're awake now I suppose. Prepare your best room.”

If Iedolas was aware of the ghostly figures of his brothers, who watched on from limbo, through the world's glass windows and mirrors, he would hear them shouting that this boy wore the carbuncle around his pale neck. But Iedolas did not hear them. 

Ardyn reappears then, looking crosser than his Inkeeper persona was supposed to be. 

“If you would, please stop bothering my guest, Sir. I am the owner of this Inn. A glass of wine, perhaps?”

Iedolas shakes his head, but does not apologise.   
“No, no. Until my brother is dead I vow only to drink my own wine, one cannot be too careful. Though, my friend in the stables might be glad of a drop. And, may you prepare your best room”

Ardyn nods, sending Talcott to the stables with the wine, and heading to set up the room himself. He makes sure to bring a knife back with him. 

Noctis is handed a glass of wine, he thanks the boy kindly, and goes to drink it, but Gentiana starts neighing frantically, and before Noctis has properly registered the unicorn’s presence, she rushes from the stable and knocks the glass out of Noctis’ hand, sending both him and the wine flying to the ground. Gentiana gestures with her hoof, to where the wine has burned a hole in the stable floor. 

Iedolas makes idle conversation with Prompto, who is still half asleep.   
“Sorry, I just assumed that you worked here”

“s’kay” Prompto shrugs a response.   
“You travelling alone?”

 

“Just had my four black stallions stabled, my carriage too. Well, I say mine. They belonged to my father, who could take any horse or beast of Nefilheim. In his youth, he took to riding an anak, which was amusing. Now he's no longer with us, the carriage and its beasts are mine”

Iedolas’ dead brothers rolled their eyes at his boasting, watching him and screaming to no avail that _the boy has the stone_  
Iedolas carries on, oblivious to the ghostly realm 

“and of course, it's the largest carriage in Nefilheim. So they say”

“... How nice for you?” says Prompto, standing up. “Please, excuse me”

“Wait a minute” Iedolas leans forwards   
“That necklace. Where did you get it”  
(his brothers applaud and congratulate in the background) 

Prompto finds the man slightly threatening, and steps back. 

“As the firstborn son of the King of Nefilheim, I DEMAND you bring it to me!”

This is when Ardyn chooses to reappear, and Noctis too bursts into the room. 

“PRINCE IEDOLAS! don't drink anything they give you! They tried to--”

“HUSH BOY!!” Ardyn yells, killing Iedolas with one swoop of his knife.   
“Get him!” he commands the goat-woman, and Noctis closes his eyes. There's a short sharp bark.   
Gentiana sends the goat woman flying, forcing her back into her true form. 

Noctis opens his eyes again, as Ardyn moves closer to Prompto, a fury of magic appearing from his hand, enveloping Gentiana and filling the inn. 

“The burning golden heart  
of a star at peace is so much better  
than your frightened Iittle heart! But better this than no heart at all”  
Ardyn once again draws his knife, and the dog that hadn't been there a moment before barks again. 

“UMBRA” Noctis screams, throwing himself forward. He grabs the dogs collar with one arm, and wraps Prompto tightly with the other. 

“Prompto. Close your eyes and think of home”

 _Huh. He does have a messenger after all.._ Prompto closes his eyes.   
Noctis does the same and prays to the six that this works.   
..…… …. ……. 

“NO!”  
Noctis opens his eyes to find they are in the middle of the sky, during a storm. Lightning flashes around them and rain whips into their faces.   
“What the hell did you do!!??”

“... What the hell did I do?? What the hell did you do!! ‘Think of home’? Yeah that was a great plan, I thought of my home and you thought of yours and now we're stranded somewhere in the middle!”

“What did you think of your home for??”

 

Prompto huffs.   
“You just said ‘home’! If you wanted me to think of your home you should've said!”

Noctis waves his arms in the air in frustration.   
“Oh so a crazy dude was gonna cut your heart out but you want specific instruction? Should I have written it down? Drawn an elaborate blueprint, maybe?”

“What about your dumb dog? Can't he get us out of here?”

“No!!! He only has a limited amount of energy!” (At this Umbra yawns) 

“wonderful” mutters Prompto sarcastically. “Just great.”

Suddenly, a net is thrown around them both and they are pulled onto a ships deck, and a young man built like a brick outhouse was glaring at them.   
“Hey Captain! Looks like I caught us a bonus- couple of lightning Marshalls!”

“they don't look like lightning Marshalls to me…”

A girl of short stature seemed to be arguing with him - _better her than me_ , Prompto thought.   
“Why would anyone else be up here in a storm, Iris? Maybe for the same damn reason we are!”  
The girl, Iris, looks at Noctis and Prompto, hands on her hips.   
“Who are you?”

Neither of them answer, more from surprise than anything else. 

“hmm. Perhaps a night in the hold will change their minds. Gladio?”

The man, Gladio, shouts down onto the deck. “You heard the girl! Get ‘em on board”

Noctis and Prompto’s arms were grabbed unceremoniously and they were dragged aboard the ship, locked away in the hold and handcuffed together, back to back.

It was dark and not particularly comfortable. 

“They're going to kill us, aren't they?”  
Prompto breaks the silence, speaking softly and shuffling a little. 

“I don't know”

“Funny.” Prompto makes a sound that's a cross between a breath and a snigger. “I used to watch people down there, having adventures. I envied them”

“Ever heard the expression ‘be careful what you wish for’?” 

“Oh so ending up with my heart cut out will serve me right, will it?”

“That's.. Not what I meant. I admire you, actually. A Shop boy like me, I couldn't have imagined an adventure like this, let alone wished for one. I just thought I'd go out, find some lump of celestial rock, go home, and that'd be it”

There's a beat in the air, the kind of tension you can only explain by feeling it. 

“... but instead you got me” Prompto smiles, though it's difficult to tell in the dim light.   
“Look, Noctis. I learned something, all that time watching the earth. Its that people aren't always what they seem. There's shop boys, and boys who work in shops…. Trust me. You're not a shop boy. You saved my life Noct. Thank you”  
And Prompto grabs his hand. 

…………… …………….. 

“Well, well, well.”  
Ravus walks around the corpse, which is lying on the ground now all signs of the Inn have vanished.   
Iedolas has a mysterious blue stain all the way down his body, but that's of no concern to Ravus.   
“the last brother dead! That means I'm king”  
He turns to his servants and throws his arms in the air “I'M KING!!”

“not yet, brother…” chides the ghostly form of Iedolas, and anyone would think Ravus had heard him.   
“Damn. I still need the stone”

He sends a servant to investigate the dead corpse of Iedolas, and comes across Talcott hiding under an upturned goat-cart. He holds a sword to the boys throat.   
“Boy! The stone. Tell me where is my stone!”

Talcott shudders “I don't know sir, I guess, I think .. Th.. The boy had it?”

“What boy?”  
“I dunno… a boy.. Your brother died in the trap set for him “

Ravus frowns. “A trap? Set by who? “

“A man you should pray to the six you'll never meet” Talcott shudders again “he's gone, he took your brothers carriage”

“What does this man want with my stone? “

“Hh-he doesn't he.. He wants the boy’s heart. He said he was gonna cut his heart out and…. “

“Eat it” Ravus finished, releasing Talcott.   
“Do you have any idea what this means? (Talcott shakes his head) I can be King… FOREVER!”

….. ……. ….. 

Ardyn puts a hand to his head, despairing as chunks of his hair start to fall out. He's used his magic too much, and the effects are showing. He must find the star, and soon! He urges Iedolas’ horses to go faster, and consults his ring. 

“Where is the star? Ask again”  
The ring shows the same result as last time he asked, that the star is airborne. Ardyn becomes more frustrated.   
“And I've broken the knife, I shall have to bring him home, and deal with him there”

……. …… … …. ……. 

 

“Tell me about LunaFreya, then” Prompto asks, perhaps just to break the silence. 

“She.. There's nothing to tell” Noctis shrugs a response. 

“Really? It's just.. From the little I know about love, it's that love is unconditional. It doesn't need to be bought.“

“Hang on! This was never about ‘buying’ her love! It's about showing how I felt”

“Ah. And what's she doing, to show how she feels about you?”

“.... “  
“Look, Prompto. You'll understand when you meet her. Unless we get murdered by pirates first”

Prompto smirks, and it's a shame Noctis is facing away from him.   
“Hm. Murdered by pirates, heart cut out and eaten, meeting LunaFreya… I  
I can't decide which sounds the most fun”

 

Ardyn manages to locate the ship, and also finds someone else is now tracking the star. He spurs the horses on.   
Ravus isn't far behind, his own black stallions just as fast as the horses that belonged to Iedolas. The ship carries on, unaware of the hoard of villains chasing after it. 

The captain unlocks the door to the hold, closing it behind her, and all the other pirates lean against it, ears to the door. 

“So.” the girl circles them menacingly “This is the part where you tell me who you are, before I snap all of your pretty little fingers like dry twigs”

“My name is Noctis Lucis Caelum, this is Prompto… uh, Prompto.” 

She walks around to Prompto, sliding a finger under his chin. 

“Don't you dare touch him!” Protests Noctis. 

“Oh? You might think you're brave showing spirit in front of your little friend, but if you talk back to me again I'll cut out your tongue and feed it to the dogs!”

“... Ma’am”

“Better, but still interrupting. Let's see, I could hang you , good for morale, or perhaps I'll just throw you over the side and be done with it. It's a long way down; you'll have plenty of time to reminisce over your pitifully short lives”

“Please” interjects Noctis, again, “we're just trying to get home. Back to a place called Insomnia “

Iris frowns even harder, putting her face right up against Noctis’ threateningly  
“That was one lie too many” she whips a sword from her side, holding it under Noctis’ chin.   
“Thought you could just wander onto MY patch did you? And live to tell the tale”

The rest of the crew hover happily outside the door, and pile out just in time to see their Captain emerge, and they cheer as they watch a figure fall from the side of the ship. 

Prompto screams as he's dragged off the deck into the girl’s cabin.   
“I'm holding this one for more questions. Anyone who disturbs me will end up like the young man down there”

And Iris vanished below deck. Taking Prompto with her.   
……..


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time

“So. That went well” Said Iris sweetly, pulling out a heavy metal thermos from somewhere and sitting at a wooden table across from Noctis and Prompto, who both looked very surprised.   
Iris pours herself some tea, and offers it to the boys. Prompto pulls a face as he tries to lift the flask, making the pirate smile. She takes it back, pouring their tea herself. 

“So! Tell me news of my beloved Insomnia, I want to hear everything! Are the lights still as bright as I remember them?”

“Wait a minute” Noctis holds up a hand to stop her   
“Why didn't you kill us? I can't believe your crew fell for that. And where in the names of the six did you get that mannequin ?!”

Iris laughs and winks   
“Works every time! An ounce of bargaining, a pinch of trickery, and a little Intimidation”

She bends to stroke a small bird that was making a noise at her side, and Prompto’s eyes lit up at the sight of it. The bird is about knee height, and bright yellow. It makes a small “kweh?” sound as it hops over to Prompto. 

“the perfect recipe for a towering reputation” Iris continues, “without ever spilling blood.   
I mean, have you tried getting blood stains out of your clothes? Absolute nightmare”

“OK, OK but won't your crew recognise me as the boy you just threw overboard”

Iris laughs again; it's a pretty laugh, if somewhat intimidating.   
“Noctis, my boy. When I'm finished your own mother won't be able to recognise you!”

Noctis wasn't sure if he was impressed or terrified. Possibly both. 

“Excuse me” Prompto spoke, gesturing to the bird, which was now sitting in his lap.   
“What's your chocobo called?”

“Moogle” said Iris, moving over. “is he bothering you? I can sh--”

“No, no!” Prompto was grinning ecstatically “I've always wished I could see one, I mean, In the flesh” He coos at the bird, and Noctis feels his cheeks flush slightly. 

“In that case, you can stay here and entertain him while Noctis here finds some new clothes” she grins and ushers Noctis into a side room, which acts as almost a walk in wardrobe. 

“It'll be good to see you out of those boring clothes, they're OK an’all, very small town errand boy, but the look doesn't suit you at all”

She picks up a black jacket, and a shirt decorated with little skulls.   
“ah! This is very you! It was my brother Gladio’s, but he never really wore it and I hate throwing things away. It wouldn't fit him now”

She hands the clothes to Noctis, and going back to the doorway, turns her attention to his friend.   
“And you! I have a ton of cool jackets you'll just love”

 

Prompto protests, making a little squeaking sound “N-no, thanks, I'm okay”

Iris raises one eyebrow. “Dude. You're wearing a bathrobe”

A few minutes later and Prompto is dressed in a shirt patterned with outlines of geometric squares, a black jacket with a tartan trim - (it's absolutely covered in patches and has its sleeves cut off)- dark animal print trousers, and thick black boots. 

Iris smiles at her handiwork, and Noctis tried to avoid a blush - Stars really suit the punk look apparently. 

“So! Tell me about Insomnia. I wanna hear it all”

“Are you from Insomnia?” Noctis asks, feeding some of the table snacks to Umbra. 

“Nah, sadly I'm not. But ever since I was a kid, I loved the stories. People always said they were just folklore - especially Gladio, he was never as adventurous as me - but my heart always knew they were true. I’d run away from my father at the market, and just peek over the wall, dream of maybe crossing it one day, to see Insomnia for myself”

“Really? So you were over here, looking over there…”

“Yah-huh” says Iris, before yelling “Hair!” and grabbing a pair of scissors. 

“Hair?” repeats Noctis, uncertainly.   
He can't say anything else, because Iris starts chopping away at his hair, and applying some kind of mousse to it. 

“ I did my best to fit in, make my father Proud. So I have a decent reputation as a cold-blooded marauder and heartless killer. My father died, and I always told him I’d take over the business, keep the ship flying.”

“is that what you want to do?”Noctis asks - there's some wistfulness to Iris’ voice, he thinks.   
“Why fight to be accepted by people you don't want to be like?”

 

They are interrupted when the ship comes to a stop, and Iris says “That's us! Cmon, Prompto, make yourself useful and help me lift these” she gestures to two large barrels. Instructing Prompto to help her take them off the ship, she carries them into a small room, and presents them to a boy, who looks unimpressed. 

“Yeah, they don't seem very fresh if I'm honest”

Iris grins   
“Do you want me to show you, Dino?”  
She opens a barrel, and a spurt of lightning escapes from it, careering round the small room   
“still crackling, very much alive and super fresh”  
She stands with her hands on her hips, as if daring him to argue. 

“What's your best offer. Ten thousand bolts of live lightning ”

Dino shuffles on his feet.   
“it's difficult to shift, isn't it? Hard to store, best price? 150 gil” 

“Boys! Get the merchandise back on board and set sail”

“whoah wait a minute… One sixty. I'll give you one sixty”

“well you're lucky I feel pretty generous today, 200 Gil”

“You're Joking, right?” Dino laughs   
“you gotta be joking, I'll give you 180. Have you been sailing up where the air’s too thin? “

“You are being very rude” Iris deadpans Dino, his attempts at… Whatever this was.. were failing. Miserably.   
“it's 200”

Dino whines   
“that's not negotiation you're not changing your number. 195, final offer”

“195 it is!” Iris offers her hand, and Dino shakes it. “so with sales tax that's.. Let's see.. 200”

Looking suitably defeated, the boy sighs “Cool. Great. Put it in the back”

He takes Iris aside for a moment, while the crew loads the goods.   
“Hey, captain, you haven't heard any of these rumours, have you? About a fallen star. They're all talking about it! You get your hands on one of them, we can close up, retire”

Iris looks briefly at Prompto, who's a little way behind them.   
She shakes her head “nop, don't know anything about that “

“not even a little whisper on your travels? Everyone's going on about it down at the market”

“Dino you're wasting your time with this gossip. You know the kind of pond scum that trade down there”

“Well if you do hear of any..”

Hes interrupted then, by iris, who has spotted someone familiar.   
“Oh, speak of the devil! Afternoon, Marillith!”

“What were you saying?” the naga hisses 

“Oh you know, that you're a wonderful woman. How the world wouldn't be the same without you, yadda yadda. Anyways, I see you both have business to attend to. Good day, Dino, Marillith”

The crew board the ship once more, and immediately draw their swords on Noctis, who's lying across a pile of ropes on the deck 

“Men!” announces Iris, crossing over to him   
“this is my cousin, Noctis Caelum. A fearsome buccaneer! He'll be joining us for our journey home.” the pirates seem satisfied by this, even after Noctis flexes and makes an unconvincing “aaarr!” sound. 

They fly on, Noctis and Prompto stand on the deck as the wind rushes past them.   
Iris and Gladio teach Noctis how to fight with a sword, and Prompto proves a brilliant lightning gatherer. 

Several weeks pass, and Iris, Prompto and Noctis are out on the deck, playing with Moogle. 

Iris and Prompto are cross-legged in front of the bird, who hops around their feet. “kweh?” 

Prompto’s hair begins to glow as the bird takes food from his hand. 

As she's quite close to him, Iris is just within earshot as she whispers “Prompto. I know what you are” 

Prompto sits up, scared. 

“No, have no fear. No one on my ship will hurt you, but there's people out there who will. Your emotions give you away, You've been glowing brighter every day since you've been here, and I think you know why”

“Of course I know why, I'm a star! and what do stars do best?”

“Well it's not being a chocobo ranger” Iris says, as Moogle pecks at Prompto’s fingers. 

Noctis comes over then, sitting down next to Prompto.   
Prompto laughs as Moogle leaves Prompto’s fingers and hops up Into Noctis’s hair, and the glow returns.   
Iris shakes her head, smiling. 

 

….. ……. …… 

Ardyn scowls. “Due West, you say? And you're certain there was a blonde boy with them?”

“yeah!” Dino leans on a lightning canister “I'm not lying to you, Man”

“You're absolutely sure?”

“I'd cross my heart if I had one”

This does nothing to alleviate the scowl painted across Ardyn’s face, if anything it makes it worse.   
“You better be telling me the truth, you two faced dog”

“you want one of them? I can get you one at a good price, make brilliant guard dogs, can watch the front and back of the house at the same time. I can get you anything you want, all at the best prices”

“Impudent whelp” Ardyn thinks for a second “You wouldn't have a messenger dog?”

“Ah. That one's a no-go. I knew a girl once.. if you know what I mean.. I'm kind of a ladies man. Anyway, she had a sister, I think she was a woman oh she was ugly like a box of frogs and she…”

“ENOUGH!!” Ardyn screeched, pointing his hand at Dino, who opened his mouth.   
The only sound that came out was a strangled “Kweh”

Ardyn picks something up from one of the shelves, and leaves.   
Consulting his ring, the vision shows that The star is back on land, heading en route to the wall. He smiles wickedly - It wouldn't be long now before Ardyn has the star - and his youth. 

 

Iris steers the ship to the ground, the wind whips Noctis & Prompto’s faces as they stand right at the front of the shp, and the propellers whirr as it lands, sending a spray of sea water right at them. 

They laugh happily as they disembark; it was almost a shame this part of the journey was over. 

“So there's the road you'II need for the wall”   
Iris helps the boys off the deck, with Umbra at their heels. 

 

“Good Iuck on your journey home,  
Prompto, wherever that may be, and Noctis?   
Hope it all works out, with LunaFreya.”

 

“Thanks so much for everything, Iris, I don't know how can we repay you”

 

“Don't mention it.  
No, seriously, don't mention it. Reputations, you know.  
A Iifetime to build, seconds to destroy.”

She winks, patting Noctis on the back. 

 

“We’ll miss you” says Prompto, and Moogle “kweh” s softly.  
Prompto laughs, ruffling the bird’s feathers. “I'll miss you too, buddy”

They turn away, when Iris calls Noctis back 

“Oh, and Noctis, just remember…”  
She leans in, whispering something.   
“Just think about it.”

“Give my regards to Insomnia, Boys   
It's been a blast to have you both!”

She boards the ship once more, and the boys watch until its out of sight. 

 

“What did she say to you?”

 

“What did she say when?” Noctis looks at the horizon, already planning out the next stage of the journey. 

 

“Just then. When she whispered to you”

“Oh, that?” Noctis laughs nervously   
“No... No, she... She was just saying that we should remember what we learned, you know? With the sword fighting and the uh, bartering with lightning”

Prompto nods, but he's not sure that's what Iris really said. 

 

The boys walked on in the direction Iris showed them, until after a little while, Noctis hit Prompto with his side, shoving him into a bush, ad landing almost on top of him. 

“What the hell dude? Are you trying to break my leg again”

“No, Prom, I'm sorry, I just can't risk anyone seeing you, not now that we’re so close to the wall”

“I dunno, if we keep stopping like this…. “

“I think we're making good time, just trust me. Leave it a minute”

As he's speaking, a carriage trundles past

Prompto resigns to his fate of laying behind a bush, and even starts to glow softly 

“Are you tempted”

“Tempted by what?” Noctis’ face inches closer to Prompto, involuntarily almost. 

“Immortality.”   
Prompto is whispering now, partly because they're in hiding, and partly because the other boy is so close  
“Say it wasn't my heart, if it was some star you didn't know… “

“You think I’d kill someone?” (Prompto starts to giggle)   
“I mean, even if I did, everlasting life seems kinda lonely”

He shrugs “I dunno, maybe if you had someone to share it with”  
“Mmh. Maybe then it'd be different” Noctis peers through the branch again,   
And Prompto avoids his eyes as they clamber to their feet.   
“Come on. I think it's safe”

 

“safe” might have been a bit of a stretch, because at that moment Ravus had found Dino’s little shop. 

“for the last time, where is he? The boy with the stone!”

Dino opens his mouth, but still all he can manage is a strangled kweh-ing sound 

“Boy, are you mocking me?” Ravus growls “if you are you have seconds to live!”

Dino shakes his head vigorously.   
“What a freak!” Ravus kicks the boy angrily, before leaving the shop 

While Ardyn’s ring tells him the star has returned to land, Ravus is boarding Iris’ ship.   
“My name is Prince Ravus. And you will tell me where to find the boy”  
He took Iris by surprise, bending over her with his dagger. “On three. One. Two. Three…”  
On three, there was a loud roar and a whole gang of pirates leapt towards Ravus, who favoured his options better if he threw himself out the window, straight into the sea.   
And so he did. 

“You know” Noctis says, glancing sideways at Prompto   
“you sort of.. Glitter sometimes. Is that normal?”

“Betcha can work that one out. What is it stars do?”

“uhhhh.. Attract trouble?”

Prompto glowers at him, playfully giving him a shove, and Noctis grins   
“Okay okay I'm sorry I'll try again. Is it…. That they know exactly how to annoy boys called Noctis”

Prompto doesn't answer, instead looking at a milestone that reads ‘WALL of INSOMNIA - 60 miles’  
“How long will that take?”

“Maybe two days” Noctis shrugs 

“But we don't have two days, Luna’ s birthday is tomorrow?”

“... So it is, well remembered.”

Noctis kicks at a stone with his foot as they walk on, he watches Prompto for a few seconds before following. 

Ravus was wet. And angry. 

“Prince Ravus, your men, they're dead”  
Talcott stands on the bank, holding Ravus’ horse. 

“Oh really?” Ravus sneers, shoving the boy and climbing onto the horse. 

 

The sounds of a carriage and horses’ hooves clipped across a little stone bridge above where the two boys were walking, and Prompto prepared himself to be shoved once again into the undergrowth.  
But the bridge wasn't tall, and he could just about see over it.   
The carriage was being driven by Marillith. 

“Wait. I know that woman! She's a friend of the captains. We can catch a lift”

“Really?” Noctis looks doubtful. “She's definitely safe, and friends with Iris?”

Prompto nods, so the boys climb up onto the small ridge, stopping in front of the carriage. 

“Hey, hello, sorry. My names Noctis Caelum, and this--”

He was cut off by the naga pointing at his lapel and exclaiming   
“That's my flower! Eighteen YEARS I've been looking for that! Give it to me!!”

She climbs down, from the driver’s seat and Noctis draws his sword 

“How dare you!” Prompto protests   
“that was a gift from his mother!”

 

“Oh, I'm sorry. I might be mistaken” Marilith draws back a little, and her bird, who has been chirping and flapping frantically, seems to relax.

“It's alright” Noctis returns his sword “it's obviously valuable to you, even if it's not the same one, so you may have it. In exchange for what I need.”

“A safe passage to the wall” says Prompto, but the woman appears not to hear him.   
“Which is?” she addresses Noctis instead, and Prompto looks slightly annoyed. 

“Can you give us a lift?” Noctis asks. 

Marillith looks at Noctis, and at his dog, Umbra, who yawns. She completely ignores Prompto. 

“For that flower, yes I can offer you passage, food and lodging on the way”

“Safe passage?”

“you will arrive at the wall in the exact same condition that you're in now”

Noctis smiles, taking the snowdrop from his lapel, the bird’s chirping seemingly getting louder as Noctis hands the flower over. 

“Do you have any idea what it was that you had?” Marillith grins, cradling the glass flower in her big scaly hand. 

“Some kind of lucky charm?”

“A charm of protection! The exact same kind of protection that would have stopped me from doing…. This”

A swirl of magic appears, surrounding Noctis body. He felt himself getting smaller, and smaller, and sm…. “Kweh?”

Where Noctis had been, there was now a small black chocobo chick. 

“Oh my six, what did you do????”  
Prompto panics, but Marillith doesn't answer him. 

She picks Noctis up, and as Prompto makes a swing for her, he finds he cannot touch her. He looks mildly affronted.  
Unbeknownst to him, the spell Ardyn cast on Marillith meant whatever he tried, the snake could not be made aware of his presence at all. 

Umbra starts to bark, and Marillith silences him, again with magic.

“Oh, I'll keep you safe. You won't be harmed.”   
She carries Noctis back into the caravan, putting him into a wooden cage, and gives him a leaf of greens (which he looks at with as much disgust as a chick can show)   
“food and lodging. As promised”

“Am I right” Prompto says, following, “that you can't see or hear me?” 

no response. Prompto grins.

“Then, I'd like to tell you that you smell of pee!! You look like the wrong end of a behemoth, and I swear to the six that if I don't get Noctis back AS HE WAS then I’ll be your personal poltergeist!” after this spurt of rage, the boy settles himself next to the cage, Umbra asleep beside him, as Marillith drives away. 

Ravus, even with his men dead, hadn't given up his search for the carbuncle. He was, at this moment, passing the very same milestone Noctis and Prompto were at not long before. He whips his horse as he thunders on. 

Marillith carries on at a steadier pace, unaware of the situation’s urgency, and of her celestial passenger - who was now kneeled in front of the chocobo pen. 

“Noctis, if you can understand me, look at me now.”

The bird hops a couple of paces to the left, looking at a piece of cheese strung up in the caravan.   
Prompto sighs, breaking off a bit and feeding it to the chick. 

“Noctis. You know when I said I don't know much about love? Well, I lied. I know a lot.   
I've seen it. I've seen centuries and centuries of it, down on earth while I lived alone up there, and it was the only thing that made watching your world bearable.   
All those wars. Pain and lies and hate, so much hate. It made me want to never look at this miserable planet again; But to see the way that humans love? You could search the whole universe and never find anything more beautiful. 

I know that love is unconditional, it's unpredictable, unexpected, uncontrollable. _unbearable_ and very easy to mistake for loathing. and… (he sighs again)   
Noctis. I think I love you. It doesn't feel like my heart is mine anymore, it belongs to you, and If you wanted it, I wouldn't ask for anything in exchange. Just your heart, in exchange for mine”

The caravan stops, and Prompto stands up when Marillith comes inside, embarrassed, although he knows the snake can't see him.   
She’s parked outside an Inn, and taking Noctis out of the cage, she puts him down on the ground next to the van. 

“The wall is a mile that way (she points) though the walk might take you a little longer than normal.”  
She snaps her fingers, and in a shroud of mist, Noctis is human again. 

“Transformation tends to scramble your brains”

And she leaves. 

Noctis tries to use his sword - and immediately falls over. 

“I was so worried about you!” Prompto tries to catch him as he falls, but he's not very big and he just manages to stop Noctis’ head from hitting the cobbles. 

His eyes open and he takes in the bleary landscape.

“... Luna” 

Prompto rolls his eyes. “I think I prefered “mother”. Come on”  
He urges, hauling Noctis back to his feet, and patting his shoulder.   
“There's an Inn just here, We have until tomorrow and you need a bath and a good sleep.”

 

Noctis sleeps as soon as his head touches a bed, and so Prompto decides to take a quick bath, the second one of his life. 

“Excuse me!” says Noctis, peeping through the little flap on the room’s divider “I think that's my bath you're using ”

Prompto jumps   
“Hey! Close your eyes”

“I'm not looking, honestly, there I'll turn away”

Prompto throws a robe on, and starts to comb through his hair. “Ok, you can look now.”

Theres a second’s silence, then Noctis asks “Hey Prom.. did you really mean it? What you said in the caravan?”

“wh..” prompto stops brushing his hair. He looks nervous, and slightly confused, and flushes bright pink.   
“what I said in th.. but you were a bird! You were a little fluffy chocobo chick who wanted cheese and wouldn't eat your greens! You didn't… I  
I asked you to give me a sign” 

Noctis tilts his head and smirks.   
“and risk you not saying all those embarrassing and lovely things?” 

Prompto covers his face with his hands, but soon begins to glow as Noctis takes hold of his shoulders, kissing him gently. 

“You wanna know what Captain Iris really said to me that day? She said my true love could be right in front of my eyes - and she was right”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ITS DONE i completed a story yay !!! I really hope at least one or two people loved it!
> 
> As always, i love love love comments on my work, and feel free to point out any errors or typing mistakes, i don't have a beta reader!

Six ghosts sat outside the inn, resting underneath one of its’ signs ( aptly, the Inn is named “ The Slaughtered Prince”) 

“Ironic, isn't it?” Said the first ghost, the one with an axe through his head.

“What is?” says another, who was killed in a fire 

“Ravus will be here by the morning, find the boy, get the stone  
and be king forever.”

“So unjust.” a third chimes in, it is the one who was thrown from a window only a few days ago. 

“Still, at Ieast we will be free.”

The brothers nod and hum in agreement. 

 

……………..

Ardyn growls. His ring is telling him the star is only one mile away from the wall.   
“This is not good news. As soon as he crosses that wall he’s useless to me, the wall is not part of this world, and he will be nothing more than a pitted lump of metallic rock”

He kicks a stone angrily, as if to prove his point. 

 

…………….

At the in, however, Prompto is soundly asleep, unaware of the turmoil he’s leaving behind.   
Noctis smiles softly, quietly and carefully moving his hand from Prompto’s shoulder, where it had been while they slept. 

He takes a small knife, and, careful not to disturb the sleeping boy, cuts off a lock of Prompto’s hair. He wraps it in a handkerchief, puts it in his pocket and makes his way downstairs. 

 

“ What?” Says a gruff voice, having been disturbed by the Hotel’s desk bell   
“ Oh, hello, what is it?” the man stretches and adjusts his glasses upon seeing Noctis. His accent is clipped, British, Noctis thinks. 

“Sorry, uh, can i have some paper and a pen?”

The man sighs “Could you ask at a more decent hour? It really is very late” 

“ I can’t, really, I have to go” Noctis protests, putting on his jacket.   
“ Look, if my friend wakes up, can you give him a message?”

A little while later and Prompto does of course, wake up, stretching happily.   
“Wow, I think thats the first time I’ve slept at night , can you believe it?” 

He reaches out, to find himself alone in the bed . He frowns. “ Noctis?” 

At that moment, Noctis is walking with purpose towards the hole in the wall.

Prompto gets up from the bed. Throwing his jacket on and going downstairs, he comes across the same receptionist that, unknown to him, Noctis had spoken to earlier.

“Excuse me, have you seen my friend?”

“ He left, absurdly early, he told me to tell you , he’s gone to see LunaFreya, because he’s sorry but he’s found his true love”

“ What? Are you sure?”  
The man shuffles through some papers on his desk. “ I was very tired, but yes, that’s what he said”

Noctis felt strange as he crossed over the wall, Insomnia didn’t feel like it belonged to him anymore, or maybe he didn’t belong to it. He wasn’t sure, but as he crossed these streets that were his childhood, he felt almost detached. 

Prompto too felt peculiar. He left the Inn and, not really sure where he was going, wandered through the bustling market.   
A girl selling brightly coloured flowers tried to get his attention as he walked by ,shouting  
“ Hey, hey wait!”   
Had Prompto been listening, he’d have seen she was tethered to her caravan by a chain, and couldn’t reach out to him.   
But Prompto felt empty, and he didn’t even hear her. 

Noctis reaches Luna’s door, at the same time that this chained woman looks into her caravan and sees a naga sleeping. She quietly bolts the door, not wanting to disturb her Mistress, and takes charge of the caravan, chasing after Prompto. 

“ Happy Birthday”   
“Noctis!” Luna’s voice is laced with surprise “What happened to you?”

 

“I found the star.”

 

“I can't believe you did it. Where's my star? Can I see it? Is it beautiful?”

 

“Yes” says Noctis, reaching into his pocket for the handkerchief

 

“Well, it's awfully small.”

 

“See, that's just a Iittle piece. A token for your birthday.” He smiles, handing the hankie to Luna, who begins to open it. 

 

But of course, who should appear but “Nyx!”  
The man stands on the path to Luna’s house, dropping his gift for her in surprise.   
“Caelum. You must have a death wish” he takes out his pocket dagger, which he soon regrets when Noctis brandishes his sword- with some skill.

“Don’t worry, she’s all yours, It took me a while to realise that you are right for each other, and I wish you all the best. I just wanted to give her something. To remember me by”

The ‘something’ in question is freed from its wrapping and falls into Luna’s hand   
“Oh! It’s a handful of stardust!”

Noctis freezes.   
“Prompto. He can’t cross the wall”  
…………………………………….

Prompto runs his hand along the cold sharp stone, ignoring the guard watch him suspiciously. 

"Stop!" cries a voice, and Prompto glances up to see a woman driving a caravan, very hurriedly.   
"You can't cross the wall, or you'll die!" 

 

Ravus whips his horse onward through the forest, He wants that star ! 

Prompto blinks ".. What" 

"If you cross over the wall, onto human soil, you'll become a lump of rock" she gently grabs him by the hands

The caravan bursts open, and an angry hissing Naga slides out, toward the dark-haired woman . She yanks on a chain, pulling the woman over and dragging her backwards  
“You wretched girl , where are we ? What have you done ?”

Prompto hears the whinny of another horse, and sure enough, another carriage arrived and grinds to a stop.   
This one Grand and black, when the door opens, Ardyn leans out of it, smarmy grin spreading over his smug features. 

“Planning to cross the wall, were you?”  
“ uh..” Prompto swallows.   
“ If death is what you wish for, my dear” Ardyn steps down from the carriage and towards Prompto “ I’d be happy to assist you”

 

“Are you talking to me?” hisses the Naga

“ Ah, Marillith, how pleasant to see you here” Says Ardyn, insincerely “ and no, of course I wasn’t , I was talking to the star”

“ Star? What star. My slave girl’s no star, if that’s who you mean. A bird, sometimes, thanks to me” she tugs on the young woman’s arm . glancing at her with suspicion “if this one was a star, I’d have had the heart out of her chest a long time ago, trust me” 

Ardyn isn't even looking at Marilith. He strokes the carbuncle, he drags his long nails ghosting over Prompto’s chest , where his heart is .

“Trust you? Not a mistake I’ll be likely to make again. What’s it to be, Marilith? Heads, or tails?”   
Marillith screams, enveloped in a green fog that shoots out from Ardyn’s hand. She fights back with her own black smokey magic, but she’s not strong enough to withhold the might of Ardyn. Prompto jumps, almost falling into the arms of Marillith’s slave girl , and she holds onto him . 

Once Ardyn is finished, Marilith’s head seems to have disappeared, and she runs around directionless, straight into the wall. Her body falls on the ground.  
Ardyn finds this hilarious, and , Prompto, still clinging on to the arm of Marilitth’s slave girl, notices in amongst his fear and disgust, the witch now appears a lot older than he did ten seconds ago. 

Marilith’s body then disappears completely, leaving a charred black shape on the grass, and the chain round her slave’s ankle vanishes with it. 

“ Time to go!” announces Ardyn, once he's done laughing.   
“ He’s not going anywhere!” protests the slave girl, holding her arm in front of Prompto. 

“ I think you’ll find that he is. Its alright, you can come too” Ardyn waves a finger, and both the woman's hand and Prompto’s are bound together by the chain.   
“ You can ride with me in the carriage, or i can drag you along behind it. Your choice” 

The two step into the dark carriage, and Ardyn gasps as he caught sight of his reflection in the glass window.  
So old! But not for long, he thinks.   
Soon the star’s heart, and its power, would be his.

 

………. ……….. ………… ……….

 

Noctis, out of breath and frantic, arrives at the other side of the wall, just a moment too late .   
“ What happened?” he breathes

“ Be my guest!” grumbles Maria, gesturing to the hole in the wall "Over eighty years, I’ve stopped you people getting out! What I should have worried about, is people from Neifelheim, trying to get in!” 

“ Okay, Okay, just tell me what happened” Noctis grabs onto the old lady’s shoulders 

“What happened? oh alright uh , where to start…” Maria begins to explain. 

Noctis cries out and runs into Marilith’s abandoned caravan. There, he picks up his snowdrop, mounts Marillith’s horse and, he hopes, heads off in the same direction as the carriage . 

He’s not the only one following the trio, though; Ravus finally reaches the gap in the wall.  
On seeing the charred remains of Marillith’s body, and the tracks of his own carriage, he too follows in hot pursuit. 

Prompto tries not to cry. He can hear Ardyn screeching and whipping the horses, but he buries his head in the slave girl’s shoulder. A moment ago she had been little more than a stranger, she still was, really, but she felt somehow familiar. Perhaps it was just because she was kind. 

They reach a dark and imposing building, the surrounding landscape is rocky, and everything seems to be coloured shades of grey, Prompto would describe it as ‘distant grey’ if that made any sense. 

Ardyn leads the two prisoners through the large heavy looking door ( which he opens by magic), into a big room with high ceilings- everything is still the same distant grey.   
Prompto shudders.

He’s led to the back of the room, where there are two small spiralling staircases, with a waterfall between them. All three of them ascend one set of these stairs, while Noctis and Ravus still charge across the landscape.   
Noctis reaches the edge of where Prompto is being held - All the horrible stark grey is right in the middle of a deep crater. 

The stairs don’t lead to a room, but rather a small platform or balcony, on which is an altar, with a chandelier above it.   
Ardyn cackles as he lays Prompto onto it, tightening his arms to it with leather straps.   
To Marilitth’s slave girl, he says, “You can be a slave for me, and mpp up when I’m done here. But first I want you to watch me”

Noctis sneaks around the edge of the building, trying not to be seen while he heads towards the door. He’s stopped by cold metal against his throat and a   
“Who are you? What business do you have here?” 

Noctis looks at the man’s hand ; it’s tattooed with the Niflheim coat of arms.   
“ I knew your brother, Iodalas” 

Ravus seems less than impressed with this. “Well, unless you want to get to know him a little more in the afterlife, I suggest you answer me. What are you doing here? ” 

“ I could ask you the same”   
Ravus glances down to see Noctis’ dagger poised against his stomach. Ah.   
They both remove their weapons, opting instead to watch Ardyn through the window. 

“ Alright” says Ravus, crouching down “ do as I say, and we might stand a chance” 

“How do I know I can trust you?”

“ You don’t, but you don’t have a choice, do you? So. Let's go”

The men Crash through the door, Ravus instantly slashing at the beast that springs to Ardyn’s protection- a huge, three headed dog.  
Noctis’ eyes grow huge when he sees the witch bending over Prompto, tied to the altar. 

Marilith’s slave girl grabs a knife, and pounces upon Ravus as he’s headed towards her. He pins her down, holding his dagger above her, when he stops, recognition flashed in his eyes. “... Aulea?”  
Their spirit brothers are just as surprised as Ravus is, but before he can think about it, the three-headed dog shoots fire from one of its mouths straight at him. He twists and dodges as much as he can. 

With the beast distracted, Noctis makes his way to the altar. Aulea runs towards him and he brandishes his sword. 

“Noctis! Noctis! Stop, I’m your mother. It’s me, I’m your mother”   
As the two embrace, the dog sends more fire towards Ravus, searing his clothes and his hands. He grabs a sharp object, flinging it at the beasts head. It hits the dog between one set of eyes and it howls in pain. ( a chorus of “ good riddance” and applause echoes from the unseen spirits)

 

Ravus marches with purpose and defiance straight towards Ardyn - and the star - but Ardyn has more tricks up his sleeve. He pulls out a small clay doll, and twists its arm violently. Ravus screams, his sword clatters to the floor. Ardyn twists the doll’s leg, and Ravus screams again. At this point, hes crawling across the cold marble floor, but the witch isn’t done with him, not yet. 

“Let’s put out those flames, shall we?”   
Ardyn drops the doll into the waterfall below him, it’s tossed and thrown around in the water.   
Ravus’ face shows momentary horror, then despair, and he’s supernaturally lifted into the air . The sensation of swallowing water, or being swallowed by it, without any water physically around him. Eventually, as the little clay doll sinks to the bottom of the falls, Ravus himself collapses onto the marble tiles, and expires. 

 

Soaking wet and decidedly undead, he joins his brothers in limbo.   
“ So” says one “What happens now”   
“ I guess we have to learn to live with each other. Forever” 

“Now that’s over with” Ardyn smiles sweetly, attention back to Prompto.   
Aulea takes Noctis’ face in her hands  
“Be the man I know you are”   
She kisses him once on the forehead, firmly, tenderly, and nods. He nods back, standing up. He knows what he can do. “ Get outside” 

Ardyn’s knife makes an ugly scraping sound, he’s sharpening it in preparation .   
Noctis strides forward, and Prompto’s face begins to glow softly on seeing him “ Noctis!”

“ Get him!” Ardyn commands, and the slavering hound picks itself up and charges straight at Noctis. It snarls, circling him menacingly, but having been injured, it’s just a little wary. 

There are lots of voretooth in cages surrounding Noctis, pitiful,mistreated looking things. He takes a gamble and slices at the cages, releasing the creatures inside.  
As he suspected they would, the animals go straight for the dog, biting and clawing at it furiously. Some of them screech as the dog’s fire or its snapping teeth hit them, but the hound’s two good heads are still barely keeping up with the onslaught. The voretooth tear the dog to shreds, then vanish swiftly through the open door, running straight past Aulea and into the dark .

With only Ardyn himself left between Noctis and his star, he approaches once more. His sword-bearing hand shaking, he passes the dead body of Ravus. Ardyn has come down the stairs now, and is here right in front of Noctis.   
Ardyn chuckles. “ So. What’s it to be, Prince Charming? Frog? Or tadpole?” He shoots a pillar of green light from his hand, but it passes right through the target.   
Ardyn looks curiously at his hand and tries again. Once more the magic passes through Noctis; he emerges unharmed. 

He smiles, taking the glass flower from his inner lapel. But Ardyn has other ideas. If he can’t use his magic directly on Noctis, he’ll use it on the furniture instead! A large urn breaks away from its resting spot and slams into Noctis, almost toppling him over. Prompto squeaks. 

Reaching for the canister at his side, Noctis lets the lightning inside have a little peek. By just removing the lid very slightly, he can release just enough to send a stream of power into Ardyn’s belly, knocking him backwards into the wall that holds the waterfall. Noctis looks quite surprised that it worked. 

AHA! The waterfall, where Ardyn’s little clay friend was thrown. He reaches round until he finds it, and starts to move it.

Hearing something, Noctis looks behind, and there, standing up and face to face with ..“Ravus?”

His head rolls back on his shoulders, one arm lazily swinging his sword at Noctis, who begins to fight back. The undead Ravus looks at his brothers and shrugs, he has nothing to do with his body’s reanimation. Ardyn begins to move back towards the stairs, doll still in hand. 

Noctis strikes the corpse in the chest, which has no effect. And so , the two continue to battle, at one point Noctis stabs Ravus right through, and yet he continues.   
Almost bent over backwards the Prince’s corpse keeps fighting. 

Noctis catches sight of one of the chandeliers above them. He smiles , a brainwave forming in his young mind , he begins to slash the ropes that hold up the fancy lights. One by one, they crash down, one of them missing ardyn by a whisker. 

Pirate training comes in handy, Noctis decided, as he grabs hold of the next rope, seconds after cutting it with the sword. In this case, the laws of gravity prove stronger than magic, because he goes flying up as the chandelier comes down. Launching into Ardyn, he kicks the witch over, which knocks him straight to the ground. 

Noctis begins to untie Prompto’s restraints, but of course no self-respecting witch is beaten that easily.  
Ardyn is on his feet again, Prompto yells out when he sees Ardyn approach from behind.   
Noctis' sword once again slices into action, this time Ardyn manages to knock it out of his hand.   
He stands over a panicked Noctis, holding his own knife to the boy's throat- the very same knife he was to use when cutting poor Prompto’s heart out.  
He then lifts it up, taking a moment to survey the wrecked hall, empty animal cages, broken furniture, and blood stained marble.   
He lets out a scream “HRRRUH” and brings the knife down… 

…. On Prompto’s restraints. 

The belt breaks cleanly, allowing Prompto to move. He and Noctis gasp for breath, and in surprise at this turn of events. 

“Youth” Ardyn throws the knife away, with a clinking of metal   
“ Beauty, it’s all worth nothing to me now. You’ve killed my protector, destroyed my home, I even killed one of my own. everything I care about is gone”

Was he.. Crying? Prompto almost felt sorry for him. 

“Go” he whispers, then again, louder this time “GO!” he continues to sob.   
Noctis takes Prompto’s arm and they rush quickly down the stairs. They see Aulea coming round to meet them, but the great door swings shut.   
Of course, Ardyn’s tears were as fake as his former youth, and are immediately replaced with horrible cackles. 

“NO!” Aulea’s screams are drowned out , but still she pounds on the big dark door.  
Every window is covered by a shutter, every light inside the building goes out. 

Then, one by one, the windows smash inwards, Ardyn opening his hands and closing them again to break the glass, wherever Noctis and Prompto run to .   
They scream , shards flying at them from everywhere, Noctis trying to shield Prompto with one arm.   
He falls down, Noctis covering him as best he can. 

An ominous scraping sound means Ardyn has retrieved his knife from the floor, and he heads towards the boys. 

“ I owe you thanks, boy. What good was a heart to me when it was broken?” He gets closer, and there has never been a look more despairing, more lost than Noctis at that moment. Could he call Umbra? 

“Hold on to me, and close your eyes.” Prompto’s voice breaks the silence in Noctis’ head.  
“What? Why” 

Despite the situation, prompto is smiling. “What do stars do best?”  
He holds on tightly to Noctis, resting his head on his shoulders. “Shine” Prompto plants a kiss on Noctis lips. 

The bright light emanating from Prompto is so strong, so brilliant, it pierces Ardyn’s eyes. The witch shrieks as it fills the entire room , and when Noctis and Prompto break apart, there's nothing where he stood except a pile of sparkling ashes. 

"Bravo, Bravo" cheer the ghosts "very good" 

 

"Wow! That was amazing!" Noctis laughs,   
"why didn't you do that ages ago?" 

"I couldn't have, not without you. A star can't shine when his heart is broken I thought I'd lost you, But you came back" he hugs Noctis again, a little glow forming in his hair. 

 

"Of course I did" Noctis kisses him "I love you"

There’s a bark, and Umbra appears in front of them. Finally rested, he must have heard Noctis’ calls from earlier. 

The boys laugh at the dog-like creature, who sneezes. 

“Come on” Noctis smiles, holds Promptos hand, and they start to walk out of Ardyn’s former cave. 

Before they leave, Prompto runs to Aulea, embracing her. But Noctis is distracted by Umbra, who’s picked something up off the ground.   
He drops the shiny object at His master’s feet, wagging his tail. The _Carbuncle_ , stone now broken off the gold chain.   
Noctis of course, doesn’t know what the stone means. He bends to pick it up , taking it back to Prompto, who he’s seen wearing it throughout their journey.   
But as he walks with the jewel, it’s colour changes from none at all to a deep ruby red. 

Aulea looks at her son with a knowing smile. “ The last surviving male heir of the Nefielhiem bloodline. Its you, Noctis”

The spirits of Aulea’s brothers look around at one another. “ If he’s the new king of Neflhiem, then..” and sure enough, no sooner had they spoken, than the ghosts dissipated into the atmosphere, able to rest at last. 

Noctis could have sworn he saw a fox-like creature materialise from the gemstone, or was he just imagining things? 

 

Not long after, Noctis was crowned King of Nefeilheim, with Prompto at his side, and his coronation was attended by many of his subjects, including Iris and the pirates, LunaFreya and Nyx, even the receptionist from the Inn. And of course, Regis, who was now reunited with his dear wife Aulea. 

Everyone cheered as the crown was placed on his head, and as he reached across to take Prompto’s hand, all in observance knew their kingdom would be in safe hands. Forever. 

 

They ruled for many years, but no man can live forever. 

No man, except one who possesses the heart of a star. And Prompto had given his to Noctis completely. 

So it was,that eventually it was time to take a journey to the sky, where they still live , Watching over the earth, happily ever after.

**Author's Note:**

> Talk to me on tumblr @star-collapse


End file.
